Toy.



. J. w. BLANCHARD, A. 1. SCHNEEMAN & L. A MINEA.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. 19H.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

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TOY.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. 1911.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

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JOSEPH W. BLAN CI-IARD, ALFRED J. SCHNEEMAN, AND LOUIS A. MIN EA, OF ST.PAUL, MINNESOTA; SAID SCHNEEMAN ASSIGNOR TO SAID BLANCHARD AND SAIDMINEA.

TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application filed May 17, 1917. Serial No. 169,354.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH W. BLANCH- ARD, ALFRED J. SCHNEEMAN, andLouis A. MINEA, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Paul, inthe county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Toys, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a toy which has for its object to provide adevice to simulate a portion of a locomotive and give a choochoo noisefor the amusement of the child operating the same.

The primary object is in a device of simple construction inexpensive tomanufacture and attractive in appearance.

A further object is in a device having a driving element which ispainted to simulate a locomotive counter-balanced wheel on both sidesand still is formed of a solid disk. The driving element or wheel isconnected by a connecting rod to a cross head and the cross head in turnis connected to an air cylinder.

It is also an object to provide a device which can be pushed about by achild from place to place, the whistle operating automatically by thedriving wheel to simulate the choo-choo noise of a locomotive.

In the drawing forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan of a detail portion of the device.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the part illustrated in Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 are details of the shaft and crank arm.

Fig. 7 is a detail of aortion of the device taken on the line 7-7 0 Fig.1.

Fig. 8 is a detailed cross section of a portion taken on the line 88 ofFig. 3.

Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 are details of the air cylinder and whistle.

Fig. 14 is a perspective of a portion of the device.

Figs. 15 and 16 illustrate sectional views of guide ways and cross headsused in our device.

Fig. 17 is a side elevation of an alternative construction.

Fig. 18 is a plan view of Fig. 17.

F ig. 19 illustrates a sectional View of the guides and cross head usedin Figs. 17 and 18.

In the drawing, A represents a toy device for simulating a locomotivedriving wheel having a driving element B which is pivotally secured tothe frame 0 by means of the bracket arms 1. The arms 1 are formed ofthin sheet material and are formed with an embossed rib 2 which extendsabout the entire edge of the arms or brackets l forming stiffening andstrengthening means for the same.

The rear end of the arms 1 are rigidly secured to the frame member G bymeans of bolts 3 and the forward end is formed with an opening 4 havingan inwardly projecting bearing surface 5 which is adapted to be freelyjournaled on the surfaces 7 on the end of the axle 8. The rib 2 alsoextends around the opening 4 thus forming a stiifening means and givinga wide bearing surface 5.

The axle 8 is adapted to be rigidly held against rotation in the drivingelement or wheel B by means of the semi-circular key 9 which is formedintegral on the axle 8. The aXle 8 is forced. into an opening formed inthe axis of the driving element B so as to rigidly hold the axle in thewheel B. The bearing surfaces formed on either end of the axle 8 are ofa smaller diameter than the body portion of the axle. The axle 8 is alsoformed with reduced cylindrical portions 10 on either end which projectfrom the portions 7. Crank arms 11 are adapted to be swaged on to theportions 10 and centerpunched at 12 so as to rigidly connect the crankarms to the axle 8.

The crank arms are preferably secured to either end of the axle so thattheir free ends 13 extend at right angles to each other. The arms 1 areadapted to extend on either side of the wheel B to form a bifurcatedsupport and the bearing surfaces 5 formed in the forward end of the sameare held in position on the portions 7 of the axle 8 by means of theshoulder 14- and the inner surface of the crank arms 11, there beingsufficient play to allow the wheel B to rotate freely on the bearings 5.The arms 1 are adapted to hold the frame element C in line centrallywith the longitudinal center line of the wheel B.

The wheel or driving element B is formed of a solid piece of materialand its side faces painted to simulate a locomotive counterbalanceddrive wheel with spokes 15 and counter-balanced portion 16. Thus thewheel or driving element C appears as a locomotive driver.

Connecting rods 17 are pivotally connect- I ed by means of the bolts 18to the free ends of the crank arms 11 on one end and the other end ofthe connecting rod 17 is pivotally connected at 19 to the cross heads20. The cross heads 20 are adapted to slide in the guide ways 21 whichare formed with grooves 22 and which are secured to the top and bottomof the frame element C by means of the Screws 23. Air cylinders 24 aresecured to either side of the rear end of the frame element C by meansof the straps 25 and lip 26 and have their piston 27 connected to thecross heads 20 by means of the connecting rod 28, which is pivotallysecured to the cross heads by means of the screws 29. The pistons 27 areof ordinary construction having a plunger formed of leather or any othersuitable material. The forward end 30 of the cylinder 24- being open andthe rear end having an air whistle or sound making element 31 formedthereon.

The element or whistle 31 is formed by cylindrical cup members 32 and33, the member 33 telescoping into the member 32. An annular flange 34formed on the member 33 is adapted to space the cups 32 and 33 apart toform a chamber 35 and the flange 36 formed on the member 32, is adaptedto extend over the end of the cylinder 24 and is held in position bymeans of the solder 37.

Holes 38 are formed in the center of the cups 32 and 33 so that air canbe drawn into the cylinder 24 and forced out by the piston or plunger27. As the air passes through the holes 38, a choo-cl1oo or whistlingnoise will be made. By changing the shape and size of the cups and holesthe noise can be changed.

A handle portion 39 is formed on the end of the frame element C by whichthe device can be engaged when it is operated.

In operation, the child or user will engage the handle 39 and push thedevice along rotating the driving element or Wheel B and operating theconnecting rod 17, cross heads 20 and pistons 27, thereby drawing airinto and forcing it out through the openings 38 of the cylinders 24 toform a choo-choo noise to simulate the noise of a locomotive. Theconnecting rods or arms 17 are stenciled or painted so as to appearsimilar to the connecting arms of a locomotive. The crank arms areoff-set from each other and oscillate the arms back and forth inoperation, to give a similar action to that of the connecting rods on alocomotive. Thus a child can enjoy a good deal of amusement with thedevice A without having to make the choo-choo noise himself which ifcont1nued, becomes very tlresome.

Where two cylmders 24 and connectlng rods 17 with cross heads 20 andcrank arms 11 are used, the wheel B is easily operated and wellbalanced. It is obvious that the cross heads 20 can be in either formillustrated in Figs. 15 and 16. In Fig. 15, grooves 40 are formed in thecenter of the cross heads and in Fig. 16, a groove 41 is formed alongthe edge of the cross head.

In the alternative construction illustrated in Figs. 17 and 18, thedriving element or wheel B is similar to that illustrated in thepreferred construction and is freely journaled to the frame element C bymeans of the screw 42. The wheel B being held along side of the member Cand spaced from the same by means of a washer 43. A washer 44 is adaptedto take the wear of the head 45 of the screw 42 off the wheel and thescrew 42 is held rigidly in the member C so that the wheel B will rotatefreely. One connecting rod 17 is used in the construction illustrated inFigs. 17 and 18 and the cross head 20 is connected in a similar manneras is illustrated in Fig. 1.

In this construction, only one air cylinder 24 is used and the pistonrod of the same is connected to the inner surface of the cross head 20by means of a screw 46. In the operation of this construction, thehandle 39 is engaged and the wheel rotated as the device A is pushedalong, thereby reciprocating the piston in the cylinder 24 and operatingthe air whistle 31 to give a choo-choo noise.

In playing with the device A, the same is so easily operated that achild can hold the handle 39 and push or draw the device along withoutmuch effort, or the device can be carried in a convenient manner andused when desired. It is obvious that the construction can be changedand the sound making element can be constructed in various manners so asto give a sharp Whistle or other desired noises. V

In accordance with the patent statutes we have described the principlesof operation of our invention together with the apparatus which we nowconsider to repre sent the best embodiment thereof, but We desire tohave it understood that the construction is only illustrative and thatthe invention can be carried out by other means and applied to usesother than those above set forth within the scope of the followingclaims:

1. In a toy having a frame with a handle formed on one end, arms formedof thin sheet material rigidly fixed to and projecting in a longitudinaldirection from the other end of said frame, said arms being spacedapart, a wheel pivotally held be tween said arms and extending in closeproximity to the forward end of said frame, cross head guides secured tothe top and bottom edges of said frame and extending from the same,cross heads adapted to be slidably held in said cross head guides,cylinders having air whistles secured to said frame and connected tosaid cross heads and means connecting said cross heads with said wheelto reciprocate said cross heads and operate said whistles when saidwheel is rotated.

2. In a toy comprising, a frame, a wheel freely mounted on the forwardend of said frame, cross head guides secured to the up per and lowersurfaces of said frame and extending transversely flush with said upperand lower surfaces to form a broad faced guide-way, a cross headslidably held in said guide-way, a cylinder having an air whistle,secured to said frame and connected to said cross head, and meansconnecting said cross head with said wheel to reciprocate said crosshead and operate said whistle when 2 said wheel is rotated.

3. In a device of the class described comprising, a frame, arms rigidlyfixed and extending from the forward end of said frame, said arms beingformed of thin sheet material forming a bifurcated support, areinforcing rib formed about the periphery of said arms forming astrengthening means therein, a bearing formed in the forward end of saidarms, a wheel freely journaled in said bearing, sound making elementssecured to said frame, cross head guides having a broad faced guidingsurface, cross heads slidably held by said guides and means forconnecting said sound making elements to said wheel to operate the samewhen said wheel is rotated for the purposes specified.

JOSEPH W. BLANCHARD. ALFRED J. SGHNEEMAN. LOUIS A. MINEA.

Copiea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing; the Commissioner oil mtente,

' Washington, new

